Grace Wins | What Should be Our Response to those Living in Sin?
So, what should our response be to those who are under grace, maybe even preaching grace, but are still living sinful lives? 1. Have mercy, because you could fall yourself. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians […]
Grace Wins | How does Grace Empower Me to Live a Holy Life?
How did Jesus live a sinless life? He was fully God, but He was also fully man. It was as a human that He resisted temptation. The temptation He faced was the same as the temptations we face today. Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). So how can we resist […]
Grace Wins | How does the Grace of God turn into Lewdness?
The tendency to use grace as an excuse for sin is nothing new—it was an issue for the early Church as much as the church today. Jude, a leader in the early church, wrote to address this concern. Let’s look at his book for wisdom and understanding of this issue. “>Jude begins by writing, “Beloved, while […]
Grace Wins | Five Reasons to Avoid Sin even under Grace
There are several reasons why we should avoid sin. 1. Sin has consequences. The eternal law of sowing and reaping still applies, even to those who have been forgiven. If you sow sin, you will reap destruction in your life. Even if you are forgiven in the eyes of God, here on this earth, sin will destroy […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace Earned?
What do you have to do to go to heaven? Do you have to be baptized? Do you have to read your Bible every day? Do you have to go to church every Sunday? Let’s ask the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He simply said to Jesus, “Remember me.” In the next moment Jesus […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace a Reward for Pleasing God?
A reward only comes for a good deed. Grace is given, not because of something you have done, it is given because of something Jesus has done. Grace always upsets religious people. Why? Because then all the things they do (and tell others to do) don’t matter anymore—suddenly they are no better than you and […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace Cheap?
Grace cannot be earned or it’s not grace anymore. Besides who could afford the great price of grace? Dietrich Bonhoeffer compares cheap grace (grace without a price) with costly grace (grace that cost the blood of God’s Son). He writes, “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of […]
Grace Wins | The Law Does Not Work
God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments to show the seriousness of their sins. First, He reminds them of His goodness, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:4). He points out that He delivered them from Egypt through His […]
Grace Wins | Should the Believer Confess Sin?
Let’s look at one of the most controversial issues in the message of “radical grace.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” First, I want to say up front that I believe in this verse and I preach […]
Grace Wins | Why is the New Covenant Important?
My wife Jessica noticed that my t-shirts were starting to look ratty because of holes and stains. She went to the store and bought me brand new t-shirts. When she returned home, she threw all my old shirts into the trash. To make room for the new, she threw out the old. The same thing […]
Grace Wins | Grace Changes your Motivation for doing Good Works
I am not married because I help my wife, Jessica, in the kitchen; I help my wife in the kitchen because I am married. When I help Jessica with housework, my work does not make me more married. I simply help her because I’m her husband. In the same way, you cannot become more righteous […]
Grace Wins | Why Should We Do Good Works?
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). In this passage, the word “works” means “corresponding actions.” In other words, your actions correspond (line up) with what you believe. If you have faith, then you will have corresponding action. But action without corresponding faith is just as dead. […]
Grace Wins | What Does Circumcision Teach Us about Grace?
One of the key themes of Galatians is identity. The identity of the Jews was very much wrapped up in the Law—the rite of circumcision being a significant sign of this identity. While circumcision is not an issue in the church today, the principle of what Paul says regarding circumcision is applicable to many situations […]
Grace Wins | Grace in Romans
The book of Romans is Paul’s masterpiece—his “Grace Manifesto.” Written to an audience composed mostly of Gentile Christians, Paul goes to great lengths to explain the fullness of the good news that is salvation in Jesus Christ. The Judaizers who Paul had debated in the Jerusalem Council had made their way to other Christian communities, […]
Grace Wins | The Jerusalem Council
The grace message is controversial today. Some preachers emphasize that we are saved by grace. Other preachers urge believers to live holy lives. Often the supporters of these two viewpoints clash. Grace preachers accuse holiness preachers of preaching the Law. Holiness preachers warn those who preach “radical grace” that their message is unbalanced and that […]
Grace Wins | How Peter Found Grace
On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached that, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). It was a powerful message—thousands of people put their faith in Christ when they heard the good news that Peter preached, the good news that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will […]
Grace Wins | Jesus is the Grace of God
Grace is all about Jesus. Everything in the Bible is about Jesus. He is more than the “alpha” and the “omega,” He is the alpha to the omega. He is the “A” to the “Z” and everything in between. Joseph Prince says, “In the Old Testament, Jesus is concealed; in the New Testament, Jesus is revealed.” Everything […]
Grace Wins | Are You Perfect?
Did you know that Jesus actually intensified the Law. The Old Testament set an extremely high standard for how to live and act, but Jesus raised the bar higher still by revealing that people will be judged for more than just their actions. Let’s look at how Jesus made the Law even harder to keep. 1. […]
Grace Wins | What Part of the Moses’ Law Should be Kept?
I graduated from a conservative Christian university. Rules and standards of conduct were an extremely important part of the university’s culture. At the beginning of the year, every student was required to sign an “Honor Code.” The students were then expected to stick to the honor code or suffer expulsion. The rules at my school […]
Grace Wins | Am I Forgiven?
The power of grace is its ability to overcome sin. No sin in your life is bigger than God’s mercy and grace. No sin is bigger than Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sin. Look at these amazing verses: “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). “…whoever believes in [Jesus] will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). “…through this Man […]
Grace Wins | Top Ten Scriptures About God’s Grace
What are the top ten things that God’s grace can do for you? 10. You are called: “[He] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus…” (2 Timothy 1:9). 9. You believe: “…[Apollos] […]
Grace Wins | Think Outside the Box
What does the ark of the covenant teach us about grace? The ark was the Jews’ most cherished possession since it carried the tangible presence of God on earth. The ark represented two things that must always be kept in balance, God’s holiness and God’s mercy. The ark was a box built of acacia wood […]
Grace Wins | What is your church known for?
Why does the world think Christians are bigots trying to impose their antiquated sense of morality on others? Many atheists equate fundamentalist Christians with the Islamic Taliban and accuse us of trying to drag the world back into the first century. Is this because Christians tend to be known more for what they are against […]
Grace Wins | What are the 2 Commandments that Replaced the 10 Commandments?
There is no rule in my marriage that I have to kiss my wife. No law that says “Thou shalt kiss thy wife every night before going to sleep, and not just a peck, but a full blown French kiss.” A “kissing rule” would be quickly become burdensome. No, I kiss my wife because I […]
Grace Wins | The Law of Love
Once there was a man who hired a maid to clean his house. He looked through a dozen resumes and finally found a maid whose skills matched his needs. When he hired her, the two of them signed a contract that explicitly detailed their mutual obligations. He agreed to pay a certain wage in exchange […]
Grace Wins | Should We Preach Law or Grace?
Once I heard a street minister witnessing. He asked a man who was walking by, “Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen? Have you committed adultery? Before you answer, keep in mind that Jesus said if you even look at a woman lustfully, you are guilty of adultery.” The man was forced to answer […]
Grace Wins | Should the Church Condemn People or Set Them Free?
Like the adulterous woman, all of us have sinned. We are all guilty. If we break one of God’s laws it is equivalent to breaking all of them. So, sin is a level playing field. None of us have the right to judge another because all of us have made mistakes. We should leave judgment […]
Grace Wins | Is God Angry at Me?
Is God judging America? Is God angry with you? Is He about to hit you with a lightning bolt? Or is God a loving God who is full of mercy and forgiveness? Many Christians seem schizophrenic when it comes to what they think and believe about God. One day they preach that God is mad […]
Grace Wins | Why do People Covered by Grace still Sin?
If our “old man” is dead, why do we still sin? Paul wrote, “But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me…Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:17, 20). Paul […]
Grace Wins | Walking in Grace Requires Humility
“…be clothed with humility,” writes the Apostle Peter, “for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time… Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist […]